The Day He Left Me
by beautifulxliar
Summary: Bella, the "happy" housewife comes home to find her husband has been murdered. Her brother, a cop, calls in a favor from a friend, Edward. Bella must now go to stay with Edward, at Emmett's instance while she continues to try to figure out what happened to her husband. Will Bella learn to love again? Or will she be too caught up in Jacob's death to notice Edward?
1. Preface

**_A/N:_** _I do not own Twilight or any of the characters._

 ** _Warning:_**

 _This story contains murder, drug use, abuse, and many other things. If you don't like any of these things, please do not read this story. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 _Preface_

I walk into the restaurant, the air conditioning erasing the heat from the hot summer day and the walk here. I look around the restaurant, Emmett's big form sticking out easily among the tables and other customers. I quickly walk over to where he is sitting, pulling the chair out on the other side of the table from him.

"I'm sorry I'm late. You wouldn't believe how much traffic there was today." I try my well-practiced lie as I look around for the waitress.

"If you are going to lie so poorly, the least you could do is look at me Bella." Emmett looks me over quickly and leans in towards me a little. "First of all, we both know you walked here. Besides the fact that this is Forks, any amount of traffic wouldn't have slowed you down. And secondly, jeans and a long sleeve shirt, hair down, fresh makeup…Bells, you can't stay with him and let him do this to you." Emmett finishes as I frown at his assessment.

"I didn't come to this lunch to be analyzed like one of your victims at the station, deputy. I didn't come here for a lecture either. I love him." I reach across the table, wrapping my hand around Emmett's. "And I love you, so I don't want to have any problems today. I just want a nice lunch with my brother." I squeeze his hand gently, before pulling my hand back to my side of the table.

I try to ignore the pained look that flashes across Emmett's face. We have had this conversation before though and nothing is going to change overnight. I love my husband, even if he did have his faults. We all had faults. When I married Jacob, I promised to love him no matter what. I know Emmett couldn't understand what was happening. But this was just a bump in the road. Jacob and I were going to make it through this and come out happy.

"This is how it always starts, Bell. You have to put a stop to it before it gets out of control. You know I love you. But I'm trying to keep you from becoming one of my victims that I have to analyze." He stares at me for a moment. "And that's detective, not deputy." Emmett finally cracks a smile, giving me a break from the conversation.

"What can I get you to drink?" The waitress interrupts, stepping up to the side of the table.

"Just water for me, please." I force my stare to remain on my menu as she stares down Emmett. Women were always staring at him like this.

"I'll have a coke." Emmett says.

"I'll give you a few minutes to look over your menus and I'll be right back with your drinks." She states before walking away. I look back up at Emmett. When I find that Emmett is already looking at me, I return my attention to the menu, trying to decide what I want.

The rest of lunch passes quickly. It hits me hard when I realize how much I miss this. I wish I could see my brother more, but there's just too much going on to arrange meetings more often than I do.

Standing outside of the restaurant, the warm day seeps through my long sleeve shirt and jeans once more, causing sweat to form. I ignore everything for a moment, staring up at Emmett. I can never be sure when I will see him again. I want to remember every moment I get to spend with my brother. With the stress of his job and trying to start a family with Rosalie, he changes so quickly these days. I'm afraid I change too, but not in a good way like he does.

"You be careful." Emmett wraps me in a hug. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you. You tell Rosalie I said hello." I smile, trying to cover up how much I miss her.

"I will. I'll have to being her to our next lunch, she misses you so much." Emmett releases me.

"I miss her too." My smile turns sad.

I watch Emmett climb into his jeep and drive off. I start off down the sidewalk, enjoying the slow, relaxed walk home. The heat of the day catches up with me even more as I walk, but the birds chirping and the kids playing in the streets distract me from how warm it really is.

When I reach my home, I open the mailbox. I pull the small stack of envelopes from the box, flipping through them as I follow the path to the house. As I'm stepping up onto the porch, I pull the keys from my pocket. I reach up to put them in the lock when I realize the door is cracked open. I push the door open, looking around the room. When I see nothing and no one out of the ordinary, I look around outside.

Everything seems to be just as I left it, with the exception of the open door. Jacob's car is still parked in the drive way. There is no other car in sight. I remain still for a moment, listening. I turn back to the house, attempting to tame the fear bubbling up inside of me. The lights are off throughout the house, but there's enough light streaming in through the windows that I don't bother turning on the lights.

"Jacob?" I pause, waiting for a response. The fear inside me doubles when nothing but silence answers me.

"Jacob? Honey, you home?" I call out again. Goosebumps break out all over my arms when the silence lingers on.

I move through our home, tracing a path through the downstairs. I am slightly relieved when I see nothing out of the ordinary. I stand at the bottom of the stairs, looking up for a moment. I gather my courage and take the stairs one at a time. When I reach the top, I open the door to our bedroom.

I gasp when I see Jacob's still body, covered in blood on our bed. My hand raises of its own accord, covering my mouth as I rush to Jacob's side. I stare at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. I press my hand to his neck, looking for a pulse. I try to recall the CPR class that I took many years ago. When I feel no pulse, I put pressure on the wound in his chest.

I pull one hand from his chest, patting his pockets looking for his phone. When I finally find it, I call for an ambulance. The lady on the other side asks me to remain on the phone, but once she knows where I am, I hang up. I throw the phone on the bed and use both hands to apply pressure once more.

The tears are streaming down my face as I hear the ambulance sirens rushing towards my house. But I already know it's too late, I know Jacob is gone. I listen as the footsteps enter the home, I must have left the door open when I came in. They find me quickly, assessing the situation and pushing my hands out of their way.

"Excuse me, miss. I need you to step out of the way." Someone places their hand on my shoulder, lightly pulling me away from Jacob's side.

"No, I want to stay with him." I grab for Jacob's lifeless hands.

"Come with me." He tugs harder on my shoulder, making it clear I had to leave.

I continue to fight him until he wraps an arm around my stomach, gently pulling me away from the bed. He continues to tug until I am outside of the bedroom. I hear the animalistic screams tugging from my body as he pulls me away. I am powerless to control myself.

I feel the rush of nausea take over my stomach. I clamp my hand over my mouth as I run down the stairs and into the bathroom. I lean over the toilet, emptying my stomach as the tears continue to run down my face.

When I am finished, I pick myself up and force myself to brush my teeth. I move out of the bathroom, finding an officer waiting for me in the living room.

"Please have a seat." He asks, pointing towards the couch.

I take a seat, looking up at the man. He looks blurry to me. I can't make out his features. I can't properly focus on anything except the fresh memory of my husband lying in our bed upstairs.

"Is there anyone you would like to call?" The officer holds out a phone to me.

"My brother." I take the phone from him and dial the number I memorized so long ago.

"Hello?" Emmett's voice comes loudly through the phone.

"Em, Jacob's…he's…Jacob's dead." I can barely get the words out through the chattering of my teeth. My whole body is shaking.

"Are you at home?" His voice changes from friendly to business.

"Yes."

"Did you call the police?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there in ten." I pull the phone away from my ear, holding it out towards the officer.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Next chapter is coming shortly! This is a rewrite of an old story. So if it seems familiar, that's why. I hope you enjoyed reading (or re-reading)!_

 _Let me know what you think!_

 _xx_


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter One_

"Did Jacob have any enemies?" The officer sitting across from me asks me seriously. I take a moment to think, not wanting to screw up the investigation by giving the wrong answer.

"Not that I know of. He is always so nice, everyone loves him." I answer when I can come up with no one that would want to do this to my husband.

"Where did you get those bruises from?" The officer looks at my arms that are lying on top of the table. I look down at my arms too. Once I was pulled away from Jacob, someone gave me clean clothes to change into. At the time, I wasn't thinking about the bruises. The short sleeves of the shirt not long enough to cover the clear fingerprints on my arm.

"It's not important. Jacob is a good man." I pull my arms off of the table and place them in my lap.

"Right now, everything is important. Please answer the question."

"Jacob was having a hard time at work. He grabbed me harder than he meant to. He apologized. It was an accident." I look at the officer, standing my ground.

"You knew nothing about his work?"

"He didn't tell me much about it. He told me that he didn't want to talk about the office when he came home. I thought he was really stressed and wanted a break from it."

"Okay, I appreciate your cooperation. I know this has been a hard day for you. If you can think of anything at all, please don't hesitate to call me." The officer holds his card out to me.

I nod as I reach out to take the card, tucking it into the pocket of my pants.

"You ready to go Bella? I went upstairs and packed some things for you." Emmett holds up two bags to show me.

I nod, unable to find any words at the moment.

"It's all going to be okay." Emmett wraps his arm around me for a moment before picking up my bags and leading me out to his jeep.

I watch him throw the bags into the back before we both climb in.

"I'll make some phone calls and see what I can do…" I tune out Emmett as he speaks. I know he means well, but I can't focus on anything at the moment.

The ride passes quickly, Emmett chattering almost the entire way. When we pull into the driveway, Rosalie is immediately opening my door and pulling me into her arms.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry." She hugs me tightly.

I return her hug, but I say nothing. She keeps her arm wrapped around my shoulders as she pulls me inside.

"Why don't you have a seat on the couch? I have dinner on and it will be ready in a few minutes." Rosalie squeezes my shoulder gently.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll go lay down. I don't feel much like eating." I sigh, the smell of food making my stomach roll with nausea.

"Of course. I have made up the guest room for you. If you need anything, anything at all, I'm here for you."

I hug Rose once more before I head to the guest bedroom. I don't bother with the bags that have been placed at the bottom of the bed. I just pull the covers back and crawl into the bed.

I stare at the wall for hours, unable to sleep. Every time I try to close my eyes, I see Jacob. Eventually, the exhaustion from the day catches up with me and forces me to sleep.

"Bella, honey, wake up." Emmett calls to me as he sits down on the bed.

"What's going on?" I ask sleepily as I move my legs over to make room for Emmett.

"I've made a few phone calls, I have found somewhere for you to stay."

"Somewhere for me to stay? I thought I was going to stay with you until I can go home." I pout, not enjoying where things were headed.

"Until everything is sorted out, you can't go home to be alone. You need to be with someone. As much as I want you to be here with me, I can't be here to protect you. And I don't want any harm coming to Rosie. We have to think about everything here. Your safety is important though, which is why you have to go."

"Okay. When do I go?" I focus on the wall again, trying to wish away the tears.

"We leave here after lunch. You should really try to get up and find something to eat."

"I will." I promise, even though we both know it is a lie.

Emmett sighs before getting off of the bed and walking to the door. He pauses for a moment, looking back at me. I wait for him to say whatever is on his mind. But, he decides not to and walks out of the door.

I go back to staring at the wall, thinking about how my life has been turned upside down in the last twenty four hours. The time passes without my knowledge. Before I know it, Emmett is knocking on the door again.

"It's time to go." Emmett peaks his head in the door.

"I'll be out in just a moment." I push the covers back, looking down at the clothes I was offered yesterday that I never changed out of.

I lift one of the suitcases onto the bed, pulling out a pair of yoga pants and a long sleeve shirt. I get dressed quickly, pushing my dirty clothes into an outside pouch of the suitcase. I zip it back up and return it to the floor beside the other one.

"I'm ready." I announce as I walk into the living room.

"Call me if you need anything, I'll be there no matter what you need or what time it is." Rosalie pulls me into her arms again. "I love you."

"I love you too." I return her hug. "Thank you for everything."

Emmett leaves the living room, walking to the guest room to get my bags for me.

"Be careful." Rosalie smiles slightly as I follow Emmett out of the front door.

"Are you really sure this is necessary?" I ask Emmett as we climb into his jeep.

"I really wish I could say that it wasn't necessary. I wish I was sure that I would be able to protect you. But the detectives think this is bigger than we realize and I agree with them. You need protective custody. I know someone who agreed to help me out because of the situation. I'll get to come see you whenever I want, Rosie too. Things are working out well for a case like this." Emmett puts the jeep in drive, pulling away from his house.

"I just can't believe all of this is happening. I can't believe I didn't know anything Jacob was involved in." I sigh.

We fall into silence and I stare out of the window, watching life fly by. My life is completely upside down. My husband is dead. I'll be living with someone I don't know. And I have no clue what I will do when this is all over. The nausea over took me.

"Emmett, can you pull over?" I ask quietly, closing my eyes and trying to focus on not throwing up in his jeep.

As soon as the jeep rolls to a stop, I fall out. I land on my knees in the grass. I dry heave for a minute, having no food to push out.

"Are you okay?" Emmett asks when I finally lean back on my legs.

"I'm fine, sorry." I get up, slowly climbing back into the car. Emmett follows me, jumping into the driver's seat.

"So can you tell me where I'm going?" I ask, hoping to forget about what just happened.

"You will be staying with Edward Cullen. He is a SWAT officer. We managed to get permission from his superior to let him stay off assignment so that he could be with you. He will have to go to training and some work stuff occasionally. But until we have this solved, he will mostly be staying with you."

"Can you tell me something about him? I'm going to live with a man I know absolutely nothing about." I ignore the clenching of my stomach.

"He is a good man. I've known him for a long time. You will be in good hands with him. I'll get to come see you and sometimes I'll bring Rosie with me." Emmett replies casually, before getting more serious. "I'm sure Edward will have some requests of you while you are staying with him. But I have a few as well."

"Okay."

"This is a very dangerous situation. I need you to be safe. We know that the people Jacob was involved with know you exist. We aren't sure if they are looking for you or not. But we don't want to take any chances."

I nod, suddenly more nervous than I was before.

"I need you to stay on Edward's property or by Edward's side at all times. Don't go anywhere without letting him know first. He needs to know where you are every second of every day. He needs to be able to find you at a moment's notice."

"I can do that." I state once Emmett stops giving orders.

"You need to listen to him too. If tells you to do it, do it without question. He knows what he is doing." Emmett glances over at me.

"I will."

"Good." Emmett turns down a side street. "And you should try not to bug him too much, I wouldn't want him kicking you out." Emmett tries to lighten the situation.

After another twenty minutes of driving, Emmett turns off the road onto a gravel one. I look around at the trees surrounding the long drive way, wondering what Edward's home will be like. The long, gravel road twists and turns another ten minutes before we pull up in front of a gate. Emmett rolls down the window and presses a button, getting a response from someone.

I ignore Emmett and the man on the other side of the speaker as they discuss who we are and why we are here. I take a couple deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

A few minutes after the gate was opened for us, Emmett pulls to a stop in front of a very large home. I look over the house, wondering why Edward needs so much room. I also take a moment to wonder why there was a gate across his driveway. Who needs that much security for a home as out of the way as this one?

"Come on, Bell." Emmett jumps out of the car.

I open the door and slide out of the seat, letting my feet fall heavily against the gravel of the driveway.

"Let's just go inside and then I'll come back for your bags in a minute." Emmett leads me to the front porch.

To my surprise, Emmett doesn't knock on the door. He opens it, pushing me through the door way before following me inside.

"Edward?" Emmett calls out loudly, moving in front of me.

"Hey, I'm glad you made it okay." A man steps towards us from the doorway to our left.

"You made it easy for us, hiding it in the middle of nowhere like this. Edward, this is Bella, my sister." Emmett steps aside, letting me get my first good look at Edward.

Edward's copper hair is untamed, his green eyes shine brightly at me. His smile is crooked as he looks at me, assessing me as I look him over. He is tall and muscled. The hint of a tattoo peeks out from under the sleeve of his shirt.

"It's nice to meet you." Edward holds his hand out towards me.

I don't reply, but I take his hand and shake it lightly.

"I'm going to get the bags from the car." Emmett says, already walking towards the door.

"Why don't you come into the living room and have a seat while Emmett gets the bags? I'm sure we have a lot to discuss."

After I nod, I follow Edward through the doorway he came from. I look around the room, noticing the couch and chairs set up facing the TV. I take a seat in a chair on the far side of the room, watching Edward as he takes a seat on the couch. We sit in silence until Emmett comes into the room, carrying a suitcase in each hand.

"I really appreciate you helping me out on this." Emmett smiles as he sits down in the other chair, leaving my bags in the doorway.

"I'm glad I could help. It won't hurt to have a vacation either." Edward laughs gently.

"I hear that. Well, I need to get on the road, Bella. I have to get back to work. I'll come by and see you soon. You can call me or Rosie if you need anything." Emmett stands up, coming over to me.

"Thank you." I smile as I stand to give him a hug.

"Come by whenever you want." Edward smiles as Emmett steps away from me and heads towards the door.

"Thanks, man. Bella, remember what we talked about in the car." Emmett opens the door. "See you guys later." He calls out just before the door shuts, leaving me alone with Edward.

I take a seat in the chair again, looking at Edward.

"Why don't we talk some things over and then I'll give you a tour?" Edward suggests.

"Okay." I squeak out.

"I completely trust all of the staff that I have here. However, Emmett and I decided that it would be best if I called you something other than Bella for the time being. Of course, if someone knows who you are, a new name won't change that. But, we don't want to advertise that you are here."

"Emma." I throw out the first name that comes into mind.

"Okay, Emma it is. Emmett said he was going to talk to you about staying on my property. I have to agree that it would be best if you followed that suggestion unless I am with you. I have lots of room here though, as you can see. There is a fence surrounding my property, so you shouldn't have any trouble knowing where you shouldn't be."

"Okay." I sigh, suddenly feeling like I am on house arrest.

"If you talk to any of the staff members, just try not to mention too much. I told them you were my girlfriend and you were coming to stay with me. Try to stick to that story as much as possible. We will also use that story when out in public together. I didn't give out any details about you or our pretend relationship. If anyone asks you anything about your husband or anything that has happened, I need you to let me know at once."

"Of course." I lean heavily against the chair, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

"I have a dog, Max. I also have two children, Lizzy and Luc. All three of them are at my parents' house currently so you can get settled in. But I will be bringing them back here tomorrow. Lizzy is three and Luc is five. It will be a bit crazy having them all here. However, I am used to taking care of them on my own, I'm not asking you for any help at all. I just wanted you to be aware of them. Also, I want to avoid telling them you are my girlfriend. I want to keep them from overhearing it also, if possible. I don't want to confuse them."

I nod, offering a slight smile. Emmett didn't warn me about the children.

"I'm going to get them from my parents' house tomorrow morning at seven, so they should all be here when you wake up." Edward returns my smile. "While you are staying with us, I want you to feel as at home as possible. Feel free to do as you please." Edward pauses for a moment. "I think that covers everything on my list for now. Do you have any questions for me?"

I shake my head, already unable to process everything that has been said without adding anything to it.

"Alright, would you like a tour then?"

When I nod, Edward stands from the couch. I stand, following him around the bottom floor of the house. I pay attention as much as possible, but I already know I will get confused and end up in the wrong place.

Edward leads me up the stairs. He points out the room I will be staying in. He shows me where his room and the bathroom are. His room is directly across the hall from my room and the bathroom is right beside my room.

"Luc and Lizzy both have rooms on this hall. But we will skip over those for now." Edward leads me back downstairs. "Would you like me to bring your bags upstairs?"

"I'll get them, but thank you. I think I'll unpack and then lay down for a few." I walk over to where Emmett left the bags in the doorway. I pick one up in each hand, swaying slightly under the weight. I feel Edward's eyes on me as I shuffle out of the room with the bags.

I struggle on the stairs, the bags making it difficult to move quickly. When I manage to get to the top of the stairs, I head straight for the room that I would be staying in. I place the bags right inside the door, not bothering to unpack them right now. I head straight for the bed, pulling the covers over myself.

I startle awake when I hear a knock on the door.

"Emma?" Edward opens the door slightly, peaking his head around the door. "Sorry to wake you. But, dinner is ready. I thought you would want to eat while everything is still warm." He offers a slight smile.

I nod, rubbing my eyes. Edward pulls the door closed and I take a moment to listen to his footsteps slowly fade. I push the covers off of me, not bothering to make the bed as I walk from the room and start the search for Edward and food.

It takes me a few minutes before I manage to find Edward sitting at a small table with a plate in front of him. There's also a plate of food across the table from him.

"How was your nap?" Edward asks, taking a bite of the food from his plate.

"It was good." I pick up my fork, pushing the food around on my plate.

We eat in silence. I spend most of the meal staring at my plate because I feel Edward staring at me.

When I am finished eating, I stand from the chair. I move to pick up my plate and glass.

"Just leave it, I'll do it." Edward smiles.

"Thank you." I offer a small smile back. After a moment of silence I add, "I think I'll go unpack and head to bed early."

"Okay. Make yourself at home here. Have a good night, Emma."

I walk quickly from the living room back to my room. I close the door behind me. I lift a suitcase onto the bed and open it. All of the clothes I crammed inside the bag were past wrinkled now.

I look at the closet and dresser in the room I would be staying in for the foreseeable future. I grab the shirt from the top of the pile, pushing it into the middle dresser drawer. I easily fit all of my clothes into the dresser. I put the empty suitcase in the closet, not knowing what else to do with it.

I open the other suitcase, pulling out shoes, books, toiletries, and other random items that Emmett threw into the bag for me when we left my home. I found a place for everything in my new room. When the second suitcase joined the first in the closet, I shut the door.

I took a moment to look around the room, now that my things were added. The nicely decorated room made my things look out of place. I sit on the bed, taking the first book off of the small pile on the bedside table. I open the well-worn book to a random page and begin to read, wanting the distraction.

I stay up late reading, waiting until I'm sure Edward is in bed. I tiptoe to the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I return to my room, I tuck myself into bed. Between the excitement of the day and my nap, I am too wound up to sleep. I end up staring out of the window on the wall across from my bed for what seems like hours.

"Emma? Emma, wake up." I feel a warm hand on my shoulder.

"No, please. I'm sorry." I apologize to Jacob, not wanting to be hurt again. I don't even bother to point out that he's calling me by the wrong name again.

"Emma, it's just a bad dream, wake up." The hand on my shoulder begins to shake me.

"I'm sorry, Jacob, please don't…" I open my eyes to find Edward standing over me. I quickly yank myself away from his touch.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You were having a bad dream." Edward watches me as I try to calm my racing heart.

"Why did you come in here?" I look around the room, trying to figure out what is going on.

"I heard you yelling from across the hallway. I came to see what was wrong." Edward rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably as he takes a step away from the bed.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I won't do it again." I look up at Edward, hoping he can forgive my mistake.

"It's okay. Do you want to talk about your dream?" Edward offers kindly.

"No, thank you. I'm really sorry for waking you." I pull the blankets tighter around me.

"It's alright, no need to apologize. I guess I'll go get ready to pick up Lizzy and Luc. Would you like to ride along?" Edward smiles a little.

"I think I will try to sleep a little more actually, if that's alright with you."

"Of course. I'll be back soon." Edward steps out of my room, closing the door.

I slide back down into the bed, closing my eyes and replaying the dream in my head. All of the sudden, I see Jacob lying on our bed once more. I open my eyes, knowing I won't be able to sleep anymore.

I pick up my book, starting where I left off last night. I read until I am sure that Edward is gone. I climb out of bed, adjusting my shorts and tank top from a night of rolling around as I stand. I open the door, looking down the hallway.

I walk down the stairs slowly, running my hand over the wood banister as I go. I move into the kitchen. The large windows in the kitchen show off the pool and large back yard. I leave the kitchen, walking into the living room. I continue walking around the first floor until I find the stairs leading down. I remember Edward mentioning something about a gym down there.

Letting my curiosity take over me, I take the stairs down. I flip the switch at the bottom of the stairs, lighting up the room in front of me. It's a huge room, full of many machines that I don't recognize. I walk over to the one machine that I do recognize, the treadmill. I step on it, looking at all of the buttons in front of me.

I press the start button, smiling slightly when the track underneath me begins to move solely. I press the button to speed up the track until I'm at a comfortable jog.

I lose track of time as I jog. The burning of my calves and the sweat push me out of my mind for the first time all week. I don't realize how long I've been on the machine until I hear Edward calling out for me.

"Emma? You down here?" I don't answer the first time he calls, forgetting for a moment that I am Emma now. Edward footsteps sound loudly on the stairs.

"There you are." Edward smiles.

I push the stop button on the machine, breathing deeply as the track slows to a stop.

"I didn't know you were interested in working out. Emmett didn't tell me that." Edward comes to a stop in front of the treadmill I am standing on.

"Emmett doesn't know. I don't know much about working out. I just like to run sometimes. I wouldn't even know where to begin with all of those other machines." I look around the room once more.

"Well, if you want to learn at any point, I can teach you." Edward surveys the room as well.

"That would be nice, thank you." I step off the machine when it comes to a complete stop.

"We can work on that later." Edward turns to look at me again. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll put breakfast on. When you're finished, you can come down and meet everyone."

"That sounds great." I smile as I follow Edward to the stairs.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _Chapter one is here faster than the other chapters will be here. Let me know what you think!_

 _Thanks for reading!_

 _xx_


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

* * *

 _Chapter Two_

I run the brush through my wet hair, trying to get rid of the tangles. I throw my hair up into a bun as soon as I finish brushing it. I brush my teeth slowly, trying to put off going downstairs as long as possible.

When there's nothing left for me to do in the bathroom and my stomach is growling loudly, I decide to face my fear and head downstairs.

From the stairs, I can hear Edward laughing and two kids squealing happily. There's even an occasional dog bark. I smile to myself at the sound of the happy family. I find myself missing Jacob and what we could have had, so I force myself to walk into the kitchen.

As soon as I step into the kitchen, Edward looks over at me.

"Have a nice shower?" Edward smiles, flipping a pancake.

"Yes, thank you." I take another step into the kitchen, taking a moment to look around.

A gray and white boxer looks at me from the other side of the room. Two children sit at the small table, both making a huge mess with the pancakes Edward had already placed in front of them.

They were two of the cutest kids I had ever seen. Edward definitely has good genes. I push those thoughts out of my head, watching the kids play with their food.

"Please eat your food, not play with it." Edward laughs at his kids. "Why don't you take a seat at the table, Emma? I'm almost finished making our food."

I nod, walking over to the small table where the kids are ignoring Edward's request to eat their food. I take a seat on the opposite side of the table. Both kids stop playing with their food to look at me.

"Hey." I smile at them.

"I'm Lizzy." The little girl proudly announces.

"I'm Emma. It's nice to meet you." I respond, amazed at what Edward has taught his kids. I look over at Luc, expecting him to speak up as well. I notice he is staring at me, but it seems he has nothing to say to me.

"What's your name?" I smile at him.

"Luc." He looks down at his plate, obviously determined to ignore me.

"Here you go." Edward sets a plate full of pancakes and bacon in front of me.

"Thank you. It looks wonderful." I don't look at Edward as he sits down beside me.

I feel a gentle push against my feet, before something heavy falls down on my feet. I look under the table to see Maxx happily stretched out across my feet.

"Sorry. He likes to lay under the table. Usually he sticks to my feet though." I look to see Edward looking under the table at Maxx too. "Maxx get off." I feel Edward gently nudge Maxx with his foot.

"It's fine. I'm glad he seems to like me." I return my gaze to my plate.

"Okay. You can push him off if he gets too heavy." Edward bites into a piece of bacon.

Breakfast continues, Lizzy and Edward speaking throughout the meal. Luc and I both stayed quiet, listening to Lizzy and Edward talk about what they want to do today.

"Emma, would you like to join us on a walk?" Edward asks as he puts the last plate into the dishwasher.

"Um, no, thanks. I think I'll go for a swim." I look at the pool through the window again.

"Okay." Edward smiles easily as he gathers the two kids and takes them out the sliding door beside the kitchen.

I wonder slowly up to my room, wondering what it will be like living here with Edward and his two kids. Emmett never said anything about kids.

I quickly change into the blue bikini that Jacob bought me last summer for a trip he took me on. I push the thoughts of Jacob and the trip out of my mind, determined that I won't think about things like that today.

I dip my toe into the pool, smiling when I feel that the water is warm. I jump in, letting the warm water surround me. I slowly swim a few laps, letting the water soothe my muscles from my earlier work out. When I don't feel like swimming laps anymore, I turn over onto my back. I close my eyes and smile as the sun shines down on me.

I keep my eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sun and water. I float around the pool on my back until my fingers are wrinkling. I sigh as I stand in the pool, walking over to the steps. I walk up them, moving over to the towel that I left on the chair.

I pick up the towel, running it over my face to remove the water. When I open my eyes again, I see Edward staring at me from inside. I blush, opening the towel to cover my body as I sit down in the chair. I look at the pool, smiling at the way the sun reflects off of the water.

I look back to the house when I hear the door opening. Edward, Luc, and Lizzy come out of the house, all dressed in bathing suits.

"Lizzy saw you in the pool and decided she wanted to swim too." Edward laughs.

"It's really nice out today for a swim." I smile as I watch Lizzy and Luc picking up toys from the ground and toss them into the pool.

Edward unfolds his towel a few times, laying it on the ground at the side of the pool. I watch with fascination as he pulls his shirt over his head, revealing his chest and abs. I can't pull my eyes away from his body as he tosses the shirt into the chair beside me.

I manage to move my eyes from his body to his face. Edward's smirking at me, letting me know he saw me checking him out. I blush and look away.

I hadn't looked at anyone like that in a very long time. I pull my towel tighter around me wondering what was going on inside my head. I couldn't look at Edward, the father of two, like that. Even if I was supposed to be pretending to be his girlfriend around his staff.

Edward sits down on his towel, letting his feet hang over into the pool. Luc and Lizzy jump into the water, splashing at Edward for sitting on the side and not getting in.

I watch Edward playing with his kids for a few minutes before I decide I should head into the house. I keep my towel tightly around me as I slide off of the chair and head to the door. I push the door open, stepping inside the cool room.

As I'm changing from my bathing suit into my clothes, I picture Edward in my mind. I haven't even been here a day and I think I'm developing a crush on him. I haven't had a crush on anyone since my crush on Jacob all those years ago.

I tie my wet hair in a ponytail and I contemplate what I should do with these feelings. I should get rid of them, I know I should. I have too much baggage. Edward has two kids. No matter how I feel, I have to consider everything. It just can't happen.

I lay down on my bed, laying a towel under my head to prevent my hair from getting my pillow wet. I close my eyes, just planning on resting a moment. But before I know it, I'm asleep.

"Emma?" A knock echoes throughout my room.

"Um…yeah?" I call out, sitting up on my bed, still confused from my nap and the strange name I am trying to get used to.

"Dinner is ready, if you would like to come eat with us. If not, I can put some back for you to eat later." Edward has the door pushed open and is standing on the other side.

"Oh…I'll come down. Thanks." I pull the covers back and get out of bed as Edward walks away, leaving the door open.

I follow Edward to the living room, where Luc and Lizzy are already stretched out with pizza in front of the TV.

"Hope pizza is okay with you." Edward offers me a plate.

"Pizza's great." I take the plate, pulling a slice of pizza from the box on the table and sitting in the chair.

"Belle." Lizzy exclaims happily from the floor.

I look from Lizzy to Edward.

"Beauty and the Beast. It's her favorite movie." Edward shrugs, pressing play on the remote.

I eat another slice of pizza as Beauty and the Beast plays on the TV. I half watch the movie, half watch Lizzy as she bounces around while watching the movie.

By the time the movie is over, Lizzy is sound asleep on the floor and it looks like Luc isn't too far behind her.

"I'll take them up to bed." Edward hands me the remote as he gets off the couch to collect his kids.

"Come on, buddy. It's time to go to bed." Edward shakes Luc gently and he picks up Lizzy, cradling her as he walks out of the room with Luc trailing behind him.

I turn off the movie, flipping through channels on the TV. I flip past all of the crime shows, I can't even think about those shows right now. I pick The Big Bang Theory, a show I'm slightly familiar with.

After a few minutes of watching the show, I hear Edward coming back into the room.

"Here, I got you some wine." Edward holds out a glass to me.

I take the glass from him, looking into the red wine in the glass.

"Thank you." I take a small sip, enjoying the wine.

"Lizzy really likes you. She kept going on and on about you as I put her to bed. Something about how much like Belle you look like." Edward laughs gently as he take a sip of the wine in his glass.

"She's adorable. Well, they both are really."

"Thanks. I think that's more from their mother than me though." Edward looks down at his glass.

"So where is she?" I had been curious about this ever since Edward told me about his kids and that I was supposed to play his girlfriend.

"She didn't want me." He frowns. "Or them." He adds quietly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." I look down at my own glass.

"No, it's fine. I've had them on my own ever since Lizzy was born. It's better this way." He sounds sure of his answer.

"They are lucky to have someone like you." I offer, feeling guilty for bringing up a difficult subject.

"Thank you, that's very kind." Edward smiles. "So who is Jacob?" Edward asks.

"What?" I am stunned. Wouldn't Emmett have filled him in?

"You said the name Jacob last night when I came to wake you up."

"Yeah, um, Jacob was my husband." I took a big sip of my wine. I was going to need it if we were going to have this conversation.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know. Emmett told me what happened. But he never told me his name." Edward apologizes.

"Oh no, it's fine." I smile at him slightly.

"So I usually work out at night, once I have Luc and Lizzy in bed. If you ever want to learn the other machines I have, you're more than welcome to join me any time." Edward takes the last sip of wine from his cup.

"I think I'll take you up on that tomorrow. I think I need a good night's sleep before I try to tackle any of that." I laugh.

"That sounds good to me." Edward smiles, taking my empty glass from me. "I'll put these in the kitchen. I'm going to work out. I'll be down there for a while, so I'll see you in the morning." Edward smiles at me.

"Goodnight." I flip the TV off and stand up.

"Night, Emma." Edward calls from the kitchen.

I climb the stairs, rushing to my room. I change into my pajamas and then pull the towel off of my pillow that was there from my nap. Once I have brushed my teeth, I tuck myself into bed, praying for a night of no nightmares.

"Emma? Are you wake?" I hear a small voice calling out to me from the other side of my room.

"Yeah." I reply, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I look to the door, seeing Lizzy standing in the door way.

"Bad dream." Lizzy steps into the room, holding her stuffed animal tightly against her. "Can't find daddy."

"Do you want me to help you find him?" I ask, watching as she walks to my bed.

"No, sleep with you." Lizzy smiles up at me from beside my bed.

"Okay." I look at her for a moment unsure of what to do. I've never had interactions like this with children before.

I take the hint when Lizzy lifts her arms and I pick her up and set her on the bed. She immediately lays down, cuddling into my side. I lay down beside her, pulling the covers over both of us.

"Night, Emma." She says sleepily.

"Night, sweetie." I lay my arm over her side gently.

I lay awake beside her for quite some time, waiting to hear Edward come back upstairs so I can get his help to put her back to bed. I fall asleep before I can hear Edward's footsteps in the hall.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Thanks to everyone for reading and a big thanks to those who left reviews! I didn't get a chance to reply to any of them, but I still appreciate them and I will do better with that this time!

Let me know what you think!

xx


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